William Hughes's clean delivery and crisp pacing immediately engage the listener and augment the appeal of this history, which is as full of fascinating characters and drama as the best fiction. Hughes's seamless transitions from quoted passages to straightforward narration allow the text to flow smoothly while retaining the immediacy that primary source material provides. Details of the greed, ambition, and ideology that roiled beneath the nobler desires fueling our American Revolution are fascinating—if sometimes uncomfortable to contemplate. Unavoidable parallels with today's super-heated political climate add an element of timeliness. Hughes’s skilled narration of Unger's unflinching examination of icons and tales from the Boston Tea Party, Sons of Liberty, and other players involved in the labored birth of our nation makes this an enjoyable and accessible title for all listeners.
Pub Date: March 8, 2011
Duration: 8 hrs, 15 mins
Publisher: Blackstone Audio
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
Carol Matthau epitomizes a glamour and lifestyle not associated with the 1990's. Here is a life of privilege, tragedy and worry about what friends would think of her new frock or lover. Matthau possesses a voice and delivery that simply could not be improved on. In her coy whisper, she tells compelling stories involving everyone from William Saroyan (husband #1) and Truman Capote to Carson McCullers, Gloria Vanderbilt, and Walter Matthau (husband #2). This excellent audio presentation will leave you wanting to read the entire book to discover what juicy tidbits were left out.
Pub Date: N/A
Duration: 3 hrs
Publisher: The Publishing Mills
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
More than 35 hours long, this comprehensive biography of Random House founder Bennett Cerf is equal to a workweek for many listeners. Cerf nurtured a roster of the 20th century's most consequential authors and was nationally known as a television panelist. His story is a fascinating panorama of American arts and society over 50 years, scrupulously researched but overburdened and slow. Listeners who've never heard of William Styron or Dorothy Kilgallen or the Famous Writers School will be fully educated here. Narrator Lisa Flanagan keeps a steady, unfussy pace that carries her listeners over the longueurs. But hers is a channel swim rather than a leisurely stroll through Central Park. This paunchy biography needed a stronger editorial hand.
Pub Date: Jan. 13, 2026
Duration: 35 hrs, 30 mins
DD ISBN: 9798217346448
Publisher: Random House Audio
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
© Copyright 2026 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
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